COURTESY OF MSPCA-Cape Cod: A rendering of the new adoption center on Route 28 in Centerville. Construction on the site is currently underway.
CENTERVILLE – Construction is underway in Centerville on the MSPCA’s new animal care and adoption center.
The 11,500 square-foot facility will include space for medical and behavioral evaluations, a modern treatment and spay and neuter clinic and a multi-purpose training and education room to provide programs for the community.
MSPCA-Cape Cod director Mary Sarah Fairweather said the organization is very excited construction has begun.
“It is moving forward at a very efficient speed,” Fairweather said. “We started pouring concrete last week and this is happening. We are full steam ahead.”
Staff continues to care for hundreds of animals which are awaiting adoption and owned animals receiving low-cost spay and neuter surgeries while construction is ongoing.
“We are talking about it as less of a shelter and more as a center of animal welfare for our community,” Fairweather said. “We will of course always have adoptable animals.”
The new center will also remain open admission so the doors will never close to any animal.
The education wing will feature dog training classes, lectures and a summer camp for kids.
“It will be a very flexible space that will be, we hope, in use most of the time for programs for our community,” Fairweather said.
The low-cost spay and neuter clinic will also provide services for dog, cat and rabbit owners.
The center will also feature a section for new animals coming into the shelter.
“It’s just really stressful for animals when they are first brought to the shelter,” Fairweather said. “So we want to give them a nice quiet space where they can settle in, where we can assess their behavior and make sure that they are healthy and get them whatever medical and behavioral care that they need.”
The center will also expand its food pantry for struggling pet owners.
Fairweather said one of the first questions asked to pet owners contemplating surrendering their animal is if there is anything the center can do to help them keep their pet.
“If that means giving them a month or two supply of food and pet supplies that can make the difference between them surrendering their pet or keeping their pet,” she said.
Fairweather believes the new center could be open around this time next year.
“The demand is absolutely there and we are really excited to expand our programs that we have for the community,” she said.
The organization is still accepting donations to help cover the costs for construction. MSPCA-Cape Cod is about half-way to its $5 million fundraising goal.
Donations can be made at the shelter on Route 28 in Centerville.
By BRIAN MERCHANT, CapeCod.com NewsCenter
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